Could an opposition candidate become prime minister?

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) is trying to court the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) and Nippon Ishin no Kai for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to elect a prime minister of their choosing and create their own administration.

But with the parties still far apart when it comes to their key policies and political objectives, it is unclear whether that will succeed.

Komeito’s sudden departure from the Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition last week has made it less certain who Japan’s next prime minister will be — LDP President Sanae Takaichi or a candidate fielded by the opposition. It has sparked the kind of political uncertainty not seen in decades.